Death
by Firefly264
Summary: Title subject to change. 'Death is inevitable, we both know that. It's the circle of life, the way of the universe. Everything that lives must die, just as anything that soars must land, no matter how hard it hits the ground. And it seems I've hit it quite hard.' minor AU, rated T for character death. ONESHOT


******This is AU in the sense that the brothers _did_ use the Stone to restore Al's body, and it ignores the entire Homunculus story arc.**

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**Gah, it seems that I used up all my happy writing with that Christmas oneshot. **

**Ahem. It is with great sadness that I inform you all that- **

**Al: *reads* Brother, she killed me!**

**Heh, well Al, about that-**

**Ed: How dare you kill my little brother! *kicks* Evil!**

***cries* **

** Disclaimer: I wish**

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I've always wanted to be an explorer; to rediscover ancient ruins, long forgotten by time. To find a new world, one filled with wonders that the ordinary, common man cannot imagine.

Why are you so sad to see me go, then, if you know what I dream of becoming? You know I want to see all, know all, experience all.

Don't think of death as something final or terrible. No one knows what there is after death, except for the dead themselves. And now, I finally have the chance to see it, to see what really lies behind the gates of heaven or hell or wherever it is we go when we pass on.

I will see angels and devils, the two sides of the same coin. I'll find demons, and the righteous immortal warriors destined to defeat them. Maybe I'll see God, if there is such a being as him.

Tell you what. I'll go on ahead, scout what lies beyond, and you can hold down the fort here until you can join me, just as we've always done, you and I. A crack team, a perfect duo, always watching each others back.

Why are you crying? Oh, please don't be sad, Brother, I couldn't bear leaving you knowing you were upset. But I don't seem to have much of a choice now. I'll have to leave soon, I'm sorry, so please stop your tears. For me.

Death is inevitable, we both know that. It's the circle of life, the way of the universe. Everything that lives must die, just as anything that soars must land, no matter how hard it hits the ground. And it seems I've hit it quite hard.

What's that? You're sorry? You idiot, don't apologize! There's nothing to be sorry for. We both did all we could, in everything we did. We tried our best, but sometimes that just isn't enough. So much for Equivalent Exchange, huh?

I just realized something. Can I explain? Will you listen, even though you keep telling me to save my breath, that everything will be fine? Because it won't be. I'm bleeding to much, Brother, the warm blood is seeping into the cold earth beneath me, and I want you to remember this;

There _is_ no Equivalent Exchange. There is no equality in this world. A man can labour all day long, working himself almost to death, hoping that his hard work will earn him a better life, someday. But who's to say that will happen? He may work himself ragged for the rest of his days, and not gain a single thing in return. His work and effort does not immediately mean that he will be rewarded.

Because while that one man is working so hard, another is watching him, mocking his weak attempts at gaining a better life, as he himself is surrounded by wealth. He inherited it all from his family, gaining everything the first man wanted without even lifting a finger.

How is that fair? How can one person deserve more than another if there is such a thing as equivalency?

Simple. Equivalent Exchange is a dream, concocted by desperate people who want nothing more than to believe that if they work, then they will be rewarded, because they want to believe that they are equal to everyone around them. Somewhere along the line, alchemists picked up the theory, and found that it fit their ideas quite nicely; if everyone was equal to everyone else, then everyone was equal to God himself. Anyone who could master alchemy, who could harness the ability to change the natural order of things, could easily gain the power that mortal men normally associate with God, if they can pay the right price.

But there _is_ no right price! One man's trash is another's treasure, as the old saying goes. The value of something can't really be judged, because it has a different value to each person. If the poor man who slaved over his work every day were to find a sack of gold in the road, it would mean almost more than life itself to him. But if the rich man were to find it, it would mean less than nothing, because he already has everything.

Nothing has a definite price, be it the cost of moving stone or a human life, because everyone values such things in different ways.

There will be no way to bring me back once I am gone, Brother. I choose to leave now, even as you beg me to stay, to hold on just a hit longer. You say you need me, but Brother, don't you see? You don't need anyone. You're strong enough to move on from this. You have two good legs, so get up and use them!

I'm glad that I told you my idea. You say it makes sense, even if it goes against everything we've ever believed.

Brother, I love you. I want to say it a million more times, but I don't have the time. It would only begin to cover how much I care about you, anyway.

Brother, please don't bring me back. It will only hurt both of us even more, and I don't want you to lose anything else.

I'm almost out of time, and I love you, and thank you for restoring me, even if I only got to enjoy my body for a short time. This is all I ever wanted, to feel your hand in mine, to smell your scent- you smell like lemons, somehow, and fresh air, and metal- and to hear you say that you love me with my own ears.

Brother, I'm sorry, but I have to go. I can hear Death calling, and it's getting impatient. I don't want to keep it waiting much longer, but Brother it hurts to leave you now that the time has come.

I can hear the others coming. Their footsteps echo down the hallway, and I can hear them calling to us.  
Let them tend to your wounds, Brother. Let them heal you, inside and out. They need you here with them, more than I will.

Death is calling even louder, I can hear its cold voice breathing in my ear, down my neck, beckoning to me. I hate to leave you, but I'm tired, and I have to go now, I'm sorry. Mustang will take care of you, I know he will. He cares about you, I can see it. Don't be to obnoxious to him, and at least try to be polite. And don't go yelling and punching things every time someone says 'short' near you, I won't be there to help control you.

Brother, I have to leave. Please, just listen! I have to go now, even though it hurts. I swear I can hear both our hearts breaking, as well as those of the ones watching us.

See, behind you, there's Mustang and his team, ready to help you. They _will_ help, if you let them. Please let them.

Brother, my time is up. I can't feel my heartbeat anymore, I'm pretty sure it's stopped, and I can hear you telling and crying, begging me to come back, but Brother I _can't_, I have to go and it hurts _so bad_ to leave you but I don't have a choice and I'll see mom again, tell her how much we've missed her and how we love her. Please stay safe, Brother, and just keep living. I don't want this to ruin your life. I'd stop this if I could but I'm already gone, don't you see, and I'm slipping even further away with each passing moment.

Brother, I'm at peace now, and I just want you to know how happy I am that I got to spend my last moments with you, even if I WAS lying in the middle of a warehouse slowly bleeding out from a gaping hole in my stomach. I'm glad you caught the guy we were after, and that you didn't let me stop you from completing the mission.

Everything is so much clearer now, Brother. I can see our whole lives at once, all spread out, if that makes any sense. I can finally understand why everything happened as it did. We were part of something huge, Brother, something incredible. We helped so many people, and while those small things _seemed_ inconsequential, we made such a difference. I'm glad that we helped so many, and I hope that you continue helping, even if I'm not there.

But you know what? I _am_ still there. I watch you all the time, guarding you. I'm that little voice in the back of your head, telling you to fight on, or warning you about enemies sneaking up on you.

I'm proud of you, Brother. I love you, and I'm proud to be your brother. I'm happy that you lived, even if it meant I had to die for you.

Brother, I miss you. I have to say goodbye soon, because this dream of yours is almost over, so I'll give you one last hug, tell you one last time that I love and miss you. I'll tell mom you said hello, and I'll wait until you fall asleep next.

I'll be here, waiting for our next big adventure.

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***cries* I'm sorry, Aru!**

**Note: My theory on Equivalent Exchange stems from a rather emotional re-watching of the end of the first anime, as well as the reading several different fics in which the theory is challenged/disproved. Also, the use of 'One man's trash is another's treasure' as an explanation was also used in the last chapter of _Hesitant Return_ By edPod (which you should totally read!), and I am only borrowing it, as it fits with my explanation. **


End file.
